As mentioned in an article last week, striker Robbie McDaid signed a 2-year contract extension at the end of the season. We caught up with Robbie today to get his thoughts on the new contract and his hopes for both himself and the team for the next 2 years and beyond.
How do you feel about signing your new contract?
“I’m delighted. We got it over the line very quickly because I wanted to commit myself to the Glens. As everyone knows I come from a family with a strong Glentoran background and I want to play as big a part as I can in bringing success back to the club as soon as we can.
How do you think your first season went for you?
“I started off really well with goals against Glenavon and Warrenpoint then took a bit of a dip in the autumn when the team was struggling too. I found it a bit tough at times settling into a new club in a new league but really from the point when Ronnie came in I think I got a bit more consistency into my game. I didn’t have a pre season at a club last season and I think that took its toll at times but that won’t be an issue this year so I know by August I’ll really be ready to have a rattle at it from the start.”
What do you think Ronnie did for you when he came in?
“He made it simple. He’s clear to each player what he wants from them and brought it back to basics after we’d maybe overcomplicated things a bit. Regularly playing 2 up top also made it easier for me as playing as a second striker with Curtis was always helpful for both of us as strikers usually need someone else to help carry the load. Ronnie made it simple for me. He told me ‘all I want you to do is hold the ball up, get in the box, bring a bit of physical presence there and score goals.’ Thankfully I was able to go most of that and I’ll be able to do a lot more of it next season. Ronnie is great with players. He’s very upfront with us about our performances and he spends a lot of time in one to one discussions with players. He regularly phones me on Sundays to discuss how I did the previous day and he’s not slow to tell any of us if we haven’t played as well as we thought we had. Equally he’s very encouraging to all of us and he goes well out of his way to make sure we don’t let our heads drop when things aren’t going well. When he and the rest of the new team get a full pre season with us I think they’ll have a brilliant impact.”
Was Curtis a good help for you?
“Yes. He’s put the arm around me from day one to help me settle in. Obviously he’s been there and done it all. I can’t speak highly enough of Curtis, what he’s done for the club. His career has been spectacular. He scores 20 to 25 goals every season no matter how the team is doing. He’s always been there for me, helped me through the bad patches and supported me when things were going well. I pick up a lot from him in training.”
Personally you ended the season pretty well. Why do you think that was?
“Really from the turn of the year and when Ronnie came in I feel I did a lot better than I had done previously. Towards the end of the season I really started to feel fresher and that I was coming to terms with playing at this standard of football after mostly playing academy football before. Like a lot of players I probably struggled a bit with the weight of expectations early on. I’d been told by my Dad what Glentoran supporters expect but really it’s something you need to learn and overcome for yourself. Ronnie really helped me with that because with his time and track record here as a player and manager before he really gets Glentoran so he had plenty of one to one chats with me (like he does with all the players) and I think I really turned an important corner under him and I thought the 2 playoff games and the Warrenpoint match where I got my hat trick were the best performances I put in.”
What goals have you set yourself for next season?
“I’m really excited about going into next season under the new management team and after a full pre season. I know all about how Ronnie and Kieran operate though since I was in Leeds last week I haven’t had a chance to speak to Gary or Leeper yet. I called round to Moko’s house at the weekend and he told me the players were really buzzing last week about Ronnie staying and about 2 big club legends coming back to the Oval to help take things forward. I read on the website about the appearances the 3 of them made and the trophies they won for the Glens so that has to be inspirational for everyone at the club. When they get a few players in to boost us we’ll see a big improvement. That means there’s exciting times ahead for the club and for me personally as well. Europe has to be the priority and if we can push into the top 4 or even the top 3 that would be fantastic progress. We also need to do better in the cups and a cup win – be it the Irish Cup or the League Cup – would be a real signal that we’re on the right road and on the way back in a serious way. Personally I want to get the consistency into my game that I started to show towards the end of the season and get 15 or even 20 goals next season. If I can do that with Curtis getting his usual number that will make a massive difference to us.”
